C25k day 1... nearly killed me!
Enthusiast84
Posts: 171 Member
Omg just done c25k day 1 on my treadmill and omg I don't know how I persevered but I managed to get to through the 30 minutes sweating like a dog by the end. I am so unfit!
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Replies
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haha. Well done.
It gets easier. Don't feel bad if you have to repeat weeks. I know I did.
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Didn't post all
Doing c25k on treadmill. Since start of new year been walking at 5 to 5.8kph for an hour each day on treadmill. So for c25k I kept that as walking speed with jogging speed at 7 kph.
I am embarrassingly unfit. Is it going to get easier? Am I starting too fast too early? Although on paper it doesn't seem very fast however it was so taxing for me to get to the end!!3 -
No, it's tough at first.
It will get easier. Keep going!2 -
cmriverside wrote: »No, it's tough at first.
It will get easier. Keep going!
Did you get to the end of the whole programme?0 -
Enthusiast84 wrote: »Didn't post all
Doing c25k on treadmill. Since start of new year been walking at 5 to 5.8kph for an hour each day on treadmill. So for c25k I kept that as walking speed with jogging speed at 7 kph.
I am embarrassingly unfit. Is it going to get easier? Am I starting too fast too early? Although on paper it doesn't seem very fast however it was so taxing for me to get to the end!!
The main thing is to find a pace that you can run at for each of the running intervals. Rather than being concerned about headline pace, make sure you keep running in each portion. It's easy to go too fast and be unable to finish a section.
Fwiw I used C25K about five years ago. I've got ten marathons and ultras booked for this year, so it works.21 -
Try making the running intervals slower. Don’t think of it as running or walking, think of running as having both feet off the ground at the same time.
When I started c25k my run speed was less than 6kph and my walk speed just over 5kph. You want to still be able to have a conversation. It’s more important at the beginning stages of the programme to be able to get the minutes in at a constant speed/gait even if that feels like you are barely above walking pace. That’s what makes you feel like you’ve achieved something.
Keep at it.6 -
I am doing this program too. Run slower. Don't worry about pace right now. Just get your stamina up. I am walking at 3.4 and running at 4.4. I will increase these as I build but starting slow is the key I think.7
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You can do your running at the same speed of walking (bonus, you don't need to change speed only movement pattern). If you're dying in 30 seconds of running you are likely going too fast. As a rule for most runs that aren't done specifically for speed drills, you need to find a comfortable pace where you feel you can still keep going when you stop. No gasping for air or feeling like you are going to die. The "I'm going to die" kind of runs are okay to do, but not as frequently and not when you're still a beginner. You want to gain endurance and condition your muscles and tendons for running. Time is more important than speed right now. Overdoing it early on is a recipe for injury, especially on a treadmill where you can't instinctively vary your speed based on tiredness. Just to make you feel good about yourself, my starting running speed was 5- 5.5 kph!5
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Yeah man, I can so relate. Coming from a place of ridiculously unfit, it's super hard. There is a pre-c25k program I found helpful. It's essentially a couple of weeks that start at 15 then 30 second intervals before the 1 minute.
Today is the last day of my second consecutive time through week 1 if C25k, and I might do it a third week depending on how tonight goes. (Its also my second time through the program as a whole.)
Don't push too hard! This is a restart for me after a partial tear to my patella tendon - a result of trying to push too much too soon and bad form.
People are right about not worrying about speed, but going overly slow can cause an unnatural gait - which contributed to my injury.
I was walking at 3.5-4.0 mph for 45-60 minutes for months before this and, honestly, that's probably better for me. I just want to be able to run, like really badly. Do keep in mind that long, brisk walks can be just as beneficial as a short, slow jog.3 -
Back with another option:
If running is too hard now, do you think you can put this off for a while if you're not in a hurry? If you've outgrown your walking (walking is no longer challenging) you can do incline walking. I've been running for over a year and a good incline walk can wipe me out more than a run.0 -
Thank you for all the suggestions and insight into your experiences. I think I am going too fast too soon. Yes walking is no longer challenging. I think I will try the incline thing too.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. Let's see how I go tomorrow.6 -
Congratulations on starting! Keep with it, it gets better. Maybe not easier but better.
Going from a 5.8K/hr walk to a 7K/hr run is a big jump. Keep the running pace slower. You should feel a burn but not be overly panting. Try to keep it where you can speak short sentences outloud without panting through it.
How are your shoes? A good pair of shoes will help your legs feel better, too.
I finished C25K about 5 years ago and am still running. I'm still slow and a 5-8K runner. I can run and enjoy it, thanks in part to C25K and to the many running friends I met here.
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Enthusiast84 wrote: »Thank you for all the suggestions and insight into your experiences. I think I am going too fast too soon. Yes walking is no longer challenging. I think I will try the incline thing too.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. Let's see how I go tomorrow.
I just completed the program Mon. It is very rewarding once done!
Please do not go tomorrow if you went today. You are supposed to have a rest day in between to recover. I would hate to see you get hurt. Best of luck to you.2 -
GOT_Obsessed wrote: »Enthusiast84 wrote: »Thank you for all the suggestions and insight into your experiences. I think I am going too fast too soon. Yes walking is no longer challenging. I think I will try the incline thing too.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. Let's see how I go tomorrow.
I just completed the program Mon. It is very rewarding once done!
Please do not go tomorrow if you went today. You are supposed to have a rest day in between to recover. I would hate to see you get hurt. Best of luck to you.
But I will be going on my treadmill anyway to walk so I may aswell to c25k. Plus I want to put into action all the good advice. I have good running shoes. I'm definitely going to slow the running down. Thanks again everyone. Feeling more positive about the challenge... and excited.2 -
Enthusiast84 wrote: »Didn't post all
Doing c25k on treadmill. Since start of new year been walking at 5 to 5.8kph for an hour each day on treadmill. So for c25k I kept that as walking speed with jogging speed at 7 kph.
I am embarrassingly unfit. Is it going to get easier? Am I starting too fast too early? Although on paper it doesn't seem very fast however it was so taxing for me to get to the end!!
One of the best pieces of advice I received about running is that "if you feel you're going slow, then you're still going to fast". There are no prizes by starting fast, other than shin splints, ITB issues and other leg problems.
Start slow. If you cannot maintain a conversation whilst running, you're still going to fast. Also, on the treadmill, make sure you have your incline on 1% to replicate outdoor conditions. Start jogging at 6-6.5kph with your walks at 4.5kph. Trust me, your speed will increase.
I'm restarting C25k (again) and I know I'll be repeating week 1 again. Why? Because I want to make sure I can get through week 1 without feeling broken :-) If you have to repeat weeks, then do so. Again, start slow, do a good warm up (I do 10mins), ensure your running and breathing techniques are all good, have rest days in between each scheduled running day, and enjoy your running! Before you know it, you'll be increasing your speed.
Good luck :-)3 -
GemimaFitzTed wrote: »Enthusiast84 wrote: »Didn't post all
Doing c25k on treadmill. Since start of new year been walking at 5 to 5.8kph for an hour each day on treadmill. So for c25k I kept that as walking speed with jogging speed at 7 kph.
I am embarrassingly unfit. Is it going to get easier? Am I starting too fast too early? Although on paper it doesn't seem very fast however it was so taxing for me to get to the end!!
One of the best pieces of advice I received about running is that "if you feel you're going slow, then you're still going to fast". There are no prizes by starting fast, other than shin splints, ITB issues and other leg problems.
Start slow. If you cannot maintain a conversation whilst running, you're still going to fast. Also, on the treadmill, make sure you have your incline on 1% to replicate outdoor conditions. Start jogging at 6-6.5kph with your walks at 4.5kph. Trust me, your speed will increase.
I'm restarting C25k (again) and I know I'll be repeating week 1 again. Why? Because I want to make sure I can get through week 1 without feeling broken :-) If you have to repeat weeks, then do so. Again, start slow, do a good warm up (I do 10mins), ensure your running and breathing techniques are all good, have rest days in between each scheduled running day, and enjoy your running! Before you know it, you'll be increasing your speed.
Good luck :-)
Thank you. This is really helpful. Feeling really motivated and inspired.1 -
Rest days are important, going gung ho is one of the very common causes of injuries which will slow you down way more than a rest day8
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It nearly killed me too. That was three years and a couple thousand miles ago.
Keep it up. Get proper shoes, take rest days between your runs, don’t increase your mileage too fast, and don’t worry about your pace. It will get better.5 -
Enthusiast84 wrote: »GOT_Obsessed wrote: »Enthusiast84 wrote: »Thank you for all the suggestions and insight into your experiences. I think I am going too fast too soon. Yes walking is no longer challenging. I think I will try the incline thing too.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. Let's see how I go tomorrow.
I just completed the program Mon. It is very rewarding once done!
Please do not go tomorrow if you went today. You are supposed to have a rest day in between to recover. I would hate to see you get hurt. Best of luck to you.
But I will be going on my treadmill anyway to walk so I may aswell to c25k. Plus I want to put into action all the good advice. I have good running shoes. I'm definitely going to slow the running down. Thanks again everyone. Feeling more positive about the challenge... and excited.
Running consecutive days when you're new to it is a recipe for injury.
The programme has rest days for a reason. Follow it.5 -
Enthusiast84 wrote: »GOT_Obsessed wrote: »Enthusiast84 wrote: »Thank you for all the suggestions and insight into your experiences. I think I am going too fast too soon. Yes walking is no longer challenging. I think I will try the incline thing too.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. Let's see how I go tomorrow.
I just completed the program Mon. It is very rewarding once done!
Please do not go tomorrow if you went today. You are supposed to have a rest day in between to recover. I would hate to see you get hurt. Best of luck to you.
But I will be going on my treadmill anyway to walk so I may aswell to c25k. Plus I want to put into action all the good advice. I have good running shoes. I'm definitely going to slow the running down. Thanks again everyone. Feeling more positive about the challenge... and excited.
The C25K plan is designed for alternate days running. As a new runner you'll find that your aerobic fitness increases rapidly, leading you to feeling like you can run more frequently. Because running is a high impact, load bearing activity it's also having an effect on the development of connective tissue in your joints. Principally the ankle, knee and hip, but also in your spine. They don't develop as quickly as your aerobic capacity.
The most common reason for people dropping out of the plan, is injury as a result of doing too much, too soon. The plan is designed to stop you doing that.
The other observation that I'd make is that in the daily check in thread on the C25K support forum here you'll see fairly regularly people ignoring that advice. Most of them don't complete the programme. Quite often you'll see complaint of niggling pain, before they disappear. It's not the running, it's running too much, or running too quickly, that causes their issues.9 -
Okay... I'll wait a day and learn from experience of others as I'm in for the long haul. Would hate it if I gave up. Thanks all.2
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Enthusiast84 wrote: »But I will be going on my treadmill anyway to walk so I may aswell to c25k.
no, you may not 'as well' do c25k. you may 'as well' take a rest day.
you're throwing away the adaptation stimulus you just gave your body on the previous day. seriously, resting is there for a reason; it should actually be called a 'building' day. don't waste your build days your body needs them.
the other advice will be there tomorrow. for today, take the advice that is telling you to take the rest day.
*speaking as someone who has never become a runner, but who did try pretty hard a couple of times*
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »The other observation that I'd make is that in the daily check in thread on the C25K support forum here you'll see fairly regularly people ignoring that advice.
There’s a C25K support forum here? How can I find it? I’ve been searching and searching both on this platform and the internet in general for a forum geared towards C25K users, and I keep coming up empty handed.
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k
I think this is the active group.
You can find other groups here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/groups/browse/popular
Just type C25K in the search field.
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Thank you!!0
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greyparks206 wrote: »MeanderingMammal wrote: »The other observation that I'd make is that in the daily check in thread on the C25K support forum here you'll see fairly regularly people ignoring that advice.
There’s a C25K support forum here? How can I find it? I’ve been searching and searching both on this platform and the internet in general for a forum geared towards C25K users, and I keep coming up empty handed.
There is also a C25K subreddit you could check out.0 -
Congratulations on finishing your first day. Running is such an awesome activity for so many people. Are you able to go outside or run on an indoor track? I think starting a running program on a treadmill can be difficult because you are forced to go the speed you set and that hinders finding your natural pace.2
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Couple pointers.
1. Make sure you can do 35-45 minutes walking before jumping in to C25K
2. Make sure you get checked out for good shoes
3. If you can possibly get outside, do so. It's emotionally/subjectively easier, since you're entirely setting your own pace, and objectively a bit harder, since you're dealing with wind, terrain, etc.
4. Slow down. Then slow down. At the end of your run intervals(at least at the beginning) you should feel like you had a little bit more. That gets harder when your intervals pass 10 minutes, but you should still feel like you didn't have to stop.0 -
I embedded the good advice and reduced the running speed down to 6-6.3kph on day 2 and managed to finish the routine comfortably. Wasn't dying at all! The weather in UK right now is not great for running outside and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to run outside. Think it's a confidence thing being a beginner and it's also exposing.
The incline thing was great advice (did this on rest day to make walking more interesting) Really worked my buttocks and legs. Felt it when I got into bed as my body was aching but that means I'm working hard and my body is adjusting?
Feeling really energised by c25k and looking forward to day 3.6 -
Nice workout! You did great!
It takes a bit of courage to run outside for the first time or two. I remember feeling so exposed and thinking that everyone saw how awful I ran. Truth is, no one sees you and those that do are runners who always give you a smilr, a thumbs up or some other type of encouragement. Runners like seeing other runners, no matter where in their training the new runner is. All runners remember their first runs.
When you can, try a run outside. There's plenty of time to wait for Spring. No rush but think about it. When this happens, don't be disappointed at a less than stellar run. The first few runs are harder, I found, because of terrain, wind factor, etc.
If it's not raining, this is my favorite time of year to run outdoors. It's a but chilly at first but once I start running, it becomes comfortable without getting overly hot.
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